A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Mundy, John
MUNDY, John, Mus. Doc., son of William Mundy, Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, was educated by his father, became organist of Eton College, and about 1585 succeeded John Merbecke as one of the organists of St. George's Chapel, Windsor. On July 9, 1586, he graduated as Mus. Bac. at Oxford. Both he and his father are mentioned in some verses at the end of a MS. collection of Motets and Madrigals transcribed in 1591 by John Baldwin, singing man of Windsor, recounting the celebrated musicians of the time. In 1594 he published 'Songs and Psalmes, composed into 3, 4, and 5 parts, for the use and delight of such as either love or learne Musicke.' He contributed a madrigal, 'Lightly she tripped o'er the dales,' to 'The Triumphes of Oriana,' 1601. He took his Mus. Doc. degree in 1624. An anthem by him is contained in Barnard's MS. collections, and three of the pieces in his 'Songs and Psalmes' were scored by Burney (Brit. Mus. Add. MS. 11,588). Several of his compositions for organ and virginals are contained in Queen Elizabeth's Virginal Book, among them a curious Fantasia describing 'Faire Wether,' 'Lightning,' 'Thunder,' 'Calme Wether,' and 'A faire Day.' He died in 1630 and was buried in the Cloisters at Windsor.
William Mundy, his father, was a vicar choral of St. Paul's, and on Feb. 21, 1563–4 was sworn a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal. A service and three anthems by him, and also the anthem 'O Lord, the Maker of all thing' (sometimes assigned to Henry VIII.), are printed in Barnard's 'Selected Church Music.' Another service and two other anthems are contained in Barnard's MS. collections, and eleven Latin motets in a set of MS. parts by him, both in the library of the Sacred Harmonic Society. The words of several of his anthems are contained in Clifford's 'Divine Services and Anthems,' 1664. He was probably one of those who, although outwardly conforming to the Reformed worship, retained a secret preference for the old faith, since he is mentioned by Morley in his 'Introduction,' in company with Byrd and others, as never having 'thought it greater sacriledge to spurne against the Image of a Saint then to take two perfect cordes of one kinde together.' The date of his death is not recorded, but it was probably in 1591, as on Oct. 12 in that year Anthony Anderson was sworn Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in his room.